Hybrid broadcast broadband Television

Hybrid broadcast broadband TV (‘HbbTV’) is a global initiative aimed at harmonizing the delivery of broadcast TV and broadband TV to the home through connected TVs (smart TVs), set‐top boxes and multiscreen devices.

The Hybrid broadcast broadband TV specification improves the video user experience by enabling interactive services such as catch-up TV, video on demand, interactive advertizing, personalization, voting, games and social networking, as well as programme-related services such as digital text and electronic programme guides.

Hybrid broadcast broadband TV uses a single user interface. This creates an open platform as an alternative to proprietary technologies, which increases user choice.

Hybrid broadcast broadband TV is easy to implement and compatible with other hybrid TV technologies such as MHEG-5. Products and services using the Hybrid broadcast broadband TV standard can operate over different broadcasting technologies, such as satellite, cable and terrestrial networks.

Hybrid broadcast broadband TV is being deployed globally. A broad set of Internet and broadcast services have already been tested and implemented.

Developing the Hybrid broadcast broadband TV (HbbTV) specification

Our standardization in the broadcasting area is carried out in the Joint Technical Committee (JTC) Broadcast, which brings us together with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC).

HbbTV 1.5 is the basis for all current Hybrid broadcast broadband TV deployments. It was approved as an ETSI Technical Specification in November 2012 as an update to the first version of Hybrid broadcast broadband TV (version 1.0).

JTC Broadcast has continued to develop the Hybrid broadcast broadband TV specification to take account of recent developments. The latest published version HbbTV 2.0.1 addresses gaps relative to ES 202 184 (MHEG-5 Broadcast profile) as used in UK and TS 101 812 (DVB-MHP) as used in Italy. It will allow the United Kingdom and Italy to implement the latest technologies on their receivers, Manufacturers will gradually upgrade their equipment to provide HbbTV technology by 2017.